For more than a decade, Brask and Coutilla, have been crewmates on a large freighter based out of the Brooklyn Space Ring. “Life aboard a freighter with a full crew is fun when you’re a non-spawning aklor. But now that we’ve progressed to aklori, we’re ready to establish our bloodline and create a brood nest of our own.” A life full of work, stimulants, tedium, and following orders no longer worked for the middle-aged couple. With 2 million credits saved, they had just enough to put a down payment on their own ship with a budget of 20 million. “AI would be great, but with my training in engineering, I don’t need it. Not to mention it’s way out of our budget,” said Brask.
The couple had three ships to choose from that were within their budget. Which one did they choose?
Decommissioned Mail Carrier
The workhorse of the Eagle Nebula Union, this decommissioned mail carrier is dependable and has good structural integrity. While it’s faced a lot of wear and tear, there is no battle scarring or mechanical issues. “Due to Union regulations, these ships get canned after 20,000 jumps. If you can find one on the market, it can be a steal. But you may find yourself competing with other interested buyers,” said the Ship Broker the couple hired. The list price is 15 million credits.
Tankari Cruiser in Need of Work
Tankari Cruisers are known for their speed in atmosphere and in vaccuum. However, that speed comes at a price both in terms of credits and amenities. “A lot of space is taken up with engines. You’re not going to find a lot of configurable space. To have a brood nest, Brask and Coutilla would need to sacrifice cargo storage,” said Ship Broker Thrank. Less space could work if the couple is able to bill their services as express freight. The Tankari Cruiser comes in right at the top of their budget at 19.9 million credits.
Rehabbed Idsqui Cargo Freighter
An intriguing find on the market, this Idsqui Cargo Freighter has been rehabbed for non-aquatic lifeforms. With adaptive living environments (a brood nest can be programmed), state-of-the-art med bay, and class 2 artificial intelligence, the ship is well out of Brask and Coutilla’s budget at 30 million credits. “It’s such a rare ship that goes above and beyond their needs. I thought they needed to see it,” said Ship Broker Thrank.
Which Ship Did They Choose?
Their Ship:
Rehabbed Idsqui Cargo Freighter
“At first, we were outbid on the decommissioned mail carrier from the Eagle Nebula Union. I had no idea how popular it would be,” said Brask. “There’s a whole mail carrier subculture that we weren’t prepared for,” Coutilla added.
The couple liked the Tankari Cruiser, but couldn’t see how it could work for both their business and bloodline goals.
The rehabbed Idsqui Cargo Freighter was way beyond the couple’s budget but had everything they needed. After discussing the matter, they decided to incorporate their partnership and take on a business loan. “We’ll be able to haul so much more cargo and can take on two apprentices, which is cheap labor for us. Overall, I couldn’t be happier,” said Coutilla.
